General Dermatology

Dermatology is the field of medicine dedicated to all diseases and problems of the skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes of the mouth and genitalia. Dermatologists train for at least four years after medical school, usually a year of general medicine followed by three years of dermatology. Dermatologic Physician Assistants have two years of formal training and in our practice at least one year of preceptership with a board-certified Dermatologist.

Our providers have many years of training and experience with advanced training in different sub-specialties, such as infectious diseases and pediatrics for Dr. Beutner; skin cancer, Mohs, and laser surgery, and dermatopathology for Dr. Geisse; internal medicine, melanoma, psoriasis and cosmetic dermatology for Dr. Mraz; Pediatrics and pediatric dermatology for Dr. Kilcline; Mohs surgery, advanced dermatologic surgery, cosmetic dermatologic surgery and laser surgery as well as expertice in disease of hair and nails for Drs. Willey and Fu; unsurpassed expertise and experience in general dermatology for Drs. McCalmont and Ruben.

Dermatologists and their specialty trained physician assistants are experts at all skin conditions for both their diagnoses and management. Dermatologists provide invaluable services to patients with chronic skin diseases that cause terrible rashes, itching, blistering problems that sometimes require sophisticated treatments such as light therapy and anticancer drugs.

Dermatologists are also expert at various cosmetic procedures, including removal of benign lesions on the face and elsewhere, laser surgery and liposuction of which some of the first procedures were performed in this country by dermatologists. The originator of tumescent anesthesia, Dr. Jeffrey Klein, was also a dermatologist. Chemical peels, hair transplants, dermabrasion, and acne scar revision were all discovered and refined by dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons. Many of the modern reconstructive procedures of the face after the removal of skin cancer were pioneered and authored by dermatologic surgeons including Drs. Geisse, Willey, and Fu.

Patients should have direct access to dermatology and, in fact, laws have been passed in various states that require health insurance companies to allow direct access to dermatologists. This makes sense because patients can see lesions on their skin and know when they have a problem, unlike many other organ systems. Managed care settings often deny patients direct access to dermatologists but there is a growing trend toward direct access to dermatologists because they have proven themselves cost-effective by making the correct diagnoses and providing proper treatment promptly for skin disease.